This invention relates to a process for growing human epidermis in vitro for, among other things, treating burn victims.
Human diploid epidermal cells have been grown in culture in the presence of fibroblasts. However, proliferation of fibroblasts must be controlled so that the epidermal cell population is not overgrown. This requires plating epidermal cells with irradiated 3T3 (mouse) cells. Rheinwald and Green, Cell, 6, 331-334, Nov. 1975. This technique requires the presence of dermal components and is not useful for treating humans.
Kitano et al in Biochemistry of Cutaneous Epidermal Differentiation, Ed. by Seiji et al, University Park Press, 1977, pp. 319-335, suggest that keratinocytes dispersed from epidermis grow without dermal components in a suitable culture medium (30% fetal bovine serum) and show some signs of differentiation. However, this technique is not reproducible.